NEW FRAGRANCE REVIEW: Thirdman Eau Monumentale “The Mystery Of Cologne” + Who Is Thirdman Draw

For those of us who care about the artists who make fragrance one of our first questions is “Who is the perfumer?” Almost every time I get a press release I look to see who is responsible for the perfume in the bottle. The answer is not always there or forthcoming from the PR people but that is usually for reasons of branding and over time the creative person’s name eventually does make it out into the world. With the new brand Thirdman I am faced with something very different than the situations described above. In this case they want to create an air of mystery around the creation of their fragrances. First with some typically over heated PR copy:

“THIRDMAN’s identity is less important than the scents and the new olfactory sensations he spearheads. He creates scents that will become part of the personal journey of the individuals who wear them. He may meet his customers on rare occasions. He operates from an unknown location, and leaves to the collaborators and perfumers he missions to speak on his behalf.”

Then there is a short video extolling the anonymity of the Thirdman:

It is hard not to roll my eyes at all of this as I wonder what exactly they are trying to accomplish. Is the mystery of who designed the perfume supposed to add some special ingredient to the fragrance? Especially when these new fragrances are in the well-explored Eau de Cologne category. Will the mystery behind the artist keep me from noticing nothing new? Certainly the part of the ad copy dealing with the first release Eau Monumentale didn’t prepare me for what I would experience:

“A universal Eau de Cologne which reinvents the bygone craftsmanship of the Eaux de Cologne for the new world. It is the first of a new generation of refreshing distinctive scents: exceptional citrus essences, new texture and comfort, never overpowering. Its incomparable natural and addictive qualities set it apart in the world of fragrances.”

So I imagine many of you, like me, were thinking enough with the mystery; “Show me the juice!” My first experience with the juice was downright uninspiring as on a strip and one spray on my skin I was unimpressed and Eau Monumentale went into the “not to be reviewed” file. But then the next day I wore my classic Roger & Gallet Jean Marie Farina and when I wear a classic Eau de Cologne I go crazy with application and spray it everywhere. I began to think that maybe I needed to give Eau Monumentale another chance but this time applying it with more than one spray. So out of the fragrant Recycle Bin Eau Monumental came and much spritzing later a very different opinion on this fragrance.

Eau de Cologne is as simple a recipe for fragrance as there is citrus, floral, and herbal. Just like a soufflé is nothing more than eggs, milk, flour, butter, and flavor; the simple can sometimes fall flat.  Eau Monumentale, when applied extensively, did not fall flat and uses the simplicity of the Eau de Cologne recipe to its advantage.

Eau Monumentale succeeds by going back to the origins of Eau de Cologne as the first thing to hit my nose is a beautiful neroli. In small amounts this neroli didn’t expose itself as much as it did when I sprayed a lot of it. Along with the neroli there is a citrus mix of orange and lemon which provide the zesty refreshment of the opening stages. Rosemary and lavender come through together and I like the lavender chosen here as it seems to be particularly good in high concentrations. Taken together this is an enjoyable classic Eau de Cologne.

Eau Monumentale has below average longevity and average sillage.

I’m not sure what I think about recommending a fragrance which you have to apply a lot of for it to stand out. I’m not sure what I think about recommending a fragrance with all of the manufactured mystery behind it. What I am sure of is once I did apply this very liberally the fact that I liked it a lot was no mystery.

Disclosure: This review was based on a sample provided by Senior Editor Ida Meister which she received at Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2011.

Thanks to  our EIC  Michelyn Camen, we have a 250mL bottle of Eau Monumentale to giveaway. To be eligible leave a comment on who you think the Thirdman might be, or how you feel about all of the mystery and if that adds to your enjoyment. Draw will close on November 28, 2011.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilt perfume

–Mark Behnke, Managing Editor

We do know where to buy  THIRDMAN

Thirdman Eau Monumentale is available at Neiman Marcus, in 50, 250 and 500 ml ($75-250).

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21 comments

  • Feliciag says:

    I think the third man might be big brother. As crazy as it sounds maybe he is Jimminey Kricket. Is he your conscience? Is he as billy Joel says the face of your stranger. Thirdman might just be a figment of your imagination.
    Yes, the mystery adds to the excitment of course. It reminds me of the movie 12 monkeys. Is thirdman a group of do gooders?
    This is very out of the box. Id expect the scent to be nothing less than excting.
    Thanks for the draw Cafelurebon and Thirdman.

  • Cheesegan says:

    Who is the third man? Rupert Murdoch? Maybe the third man are those who control the fourth estate.
    I don’t know, I think perfume ads are silly. I don’t read fashion mags or watch TV, and I don’t understand the appeal. I think the hype of this perfume and others are best ignored. Why get excited or even pay attention to a manufactured fantasy that is just trying pick your pocket?

  • kamajasmine says:

    Since Mark likes the fragrance I am inteigued But I don’t like mind games with my perfume. the illustrations are lovely but it’s been done before by a lot of perfumers give credit to the authors and it’s a win win
    Now if the third man was a woman you piqued my interest

  • MariaA says:

    I really don’t care who he or she is. I spent a lot of time judging perfumes by their creator and many times that lead me to wrong conclusions and dissapointments. So now when I test a perfume I always give it a chance regardless of their creator!

  • marcopietro says:

    Very interesting video and marketing game;
    the third man could be me too?
    Mystery and advertising do create expectations that I’d like to meet with the flavor tasting.

  • Arthur Nguyen says:

    I think the Thirdman is a character invented by creative directors who wanted to personify their brand’s identity. It certainly doesn’t make me more eager to try the fragrance, but given Mark’s positive review I don’t not want to try it either!

  • Isa says:

    I have an Advertising and Marketing degree, and I appreciate and like this kind of adverts. It’s good to create hype and expectation, and this viral video is really well done.
    Said this, I don’t think the Thirdman is a real person. It’s simple the image for this brand, as Arthur Nguyen said before me. The Thirdman is a sign, a commercial character, like many others.

  • d3m0licion says:

    It is just good marketing, people like us who really like fragrances don’t really care about who is the man with the idea behind, maybe we would like to know who the perfumer is but not the “thirdman”
    It sounds really good and would love to be entered in this draw.
    Thanks.

  • DrAndrePhD says:

    The mystery of the ad campaign puts me in the camp of fearing that I have to think a bit too much. Am I being sold a bill of goods about a potentially lack-luster perfume that I wouldn’t care to experience if I knew the identity of the perfumer? OR am I being spared jumping to a negative preconceived conclusion about a quality perfume by NOT knowing who the ‘(Wo)man Behind the Mask’ is? These mental gymnastics probably ARE the aim, and thanks to being pointed in the right direction by Scent Scherpa Behnke, I may just seek out my own truth.

    On balance, I think the campaign is clever. Although it seems a tad derivative of the “Who watches the Watchmen?” / “Who is John Galt?” type of pitch, it pulls up from a complete been there / done that death spiral by combining the foregoing with a dash of Banksy / Borf mystery.

    I’d be pleased to find myself in possession of the drawn bottle. Unless THIRDMAN turns out to be Justin Beiber or Ashton Kutcher – then I’ll just feel Punk’d. But I’d smell great doing it.

  • Tama says:

    Interesting and rather fun marketing strategy – the profile makes me think of Rorschach in Watchmen, with his full mask. My thought was that the Thirdman does not have a big enough nose to be a nose.

    As someone who actually pays limited attention to who is the perfumer behind what perfume – I often know, but don’t always care – I don’t really care who Thirdman is. If the perfume is good, I’ll wear it.

  • Paul-Laurentiu says:

    I think that The Thirdman is actually “The Thirdwoman”. That profile, which appears to be the profile of a man, is the profile of a woman. It intrigues you to think who it can be and in the end to be a woman so the surprise would be even bigger.

  • mim says:

    The marketing is kinda meh for me, except that it makes me think of Caron Le 3 Homme. I am kind of a sucker for pretty bottles but what matters is the scent, and if I wouldn’t use up a sample or buy a decant then it isn’t for me regardless of how clever the ads I can see how these would draw some people in, but not others like me who are not big on mysteries or suprises.

    Knowing the perfumer can make me think maybe I’d like a scent even if the ads/ note list were not so appealing, because sometimes it’s not just the ingredients but the way in which the perfume is constructed that can make it work for individuals. And, sometimes, knowing the perfumer can make me think the scent is not for me, if their style/signature just doesn’t work But not knowing the perfumer? does not appeal more.

    Whether or not the thirdman is an actual individual or a marketing creation, it/he seems artificial either way.

    Still, glad it got rescued from the heap and worked for you. I wear many colognes intended for men and would love to try this!

  • Claudia says:

    Interesting marketing strategy, since you really would have to judge the fragrance by the scent itself not by a name attached to it. Does it appeal to me…not really. What if it is neither a man or a woman but a child creating a fragrance…LOL. Well hopefully we will find out.

  • TaffyJ says:

    “The Third Man’ is an old film, starring Orson Wells and Joseph Cotten, based on a screenplay by Graham Greene. There’s a famous quote from the movie:

    “Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love – they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.”

    Still have no clue who The Thirdman is. Maybe it’s Alfred Hitchcock.

  • Alica says:

    I have absolutely no idea who could be the one despite of thorough view of the video above. Maybe a well-known perfume designer? No clue. However, very interesting…

  • Lisa says:

    The Third Man is a film. And a good one.

    The Thirdman is a commercial. I dislike manufactured mysteries.

    But I agree with Tama. If the fragrance is good, I’ll wear it, despite the marketing.

  • Leslie Robinson says:

    I would be likely to be more interested in a scent if I knew it was designed by a certain person, but making a mystery of who created the fragrance doesn’t make me more likely to try it…

  • brigitte says:

    Perhaps thirdman is three perfumers working in collaboration. In any event whoever or whatever thirdman is would have no bearing on my decision about the cologne. The notes sound great and I would love to try it.

  • kevin fuchs says:

    After coming across this review I decided to make a visit to Neiman’s to give it (eau monumentale) a try. I have to say, the reviewer was correct in that the scent is more effective when used liberally. However, it isn’t overwhelming. I spent the afternoon shopping and had to return to have more. I bought the smaller bottle, but already feel like that was a mistake. I am certain that I will be returning to purchase a larger bottle. I also would like to add that the 3rd fragrance (eau profonde) in the line is also quite good, not so blown away by the 2nd one (eau moderne).